Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed that Simon Kinberg’s planned trilogy is being developed as the franchise’s “new saga,” intended to guide Star Wars into its next chapter.
Set firmly in the post-Rise of Skywalker timeline, the trilogy is designed as a cornerstone of the era, with Kinberg writing and producing all three films.
Unlike the sequel trilogy, which shifted between creative teams, this approach aims to deliver a cohesive, carefully structured story from beginning to end.
Speaking with Nerdtropolis, Kinberg admitted the opportunity still feels surreal. “It’s not even a dream come true—I couldn’t have dreamed it,” he said. “Just to be told there’d be more movies would have been unbelievable. To be allowed on the set of any of them was already a dream. My enthusiasm only grows with working on and around it.”
Kinberg also highlighted his admiration for Tony Gilroy’s acclaimed series, Andor. “There’s a ton of wildly talented folks that want to do great work. I was super inspired and just sort of awestruck by what Tony Gilroy did with Andor. I thought that was about as good of science fiction storytelling as you can do in any franchise.”
Kinberg’s long-standing connection to Lucasfilm, most notably as co-creator and executive producer of Star Wars Rebels, has cemented his reputation as a trusted and influential creative partner for the studio.
Although some industry chatter hints that the upcoming films might bear the title “Episodes X, XI, and XII,” other sources indicate the real intention is to introduce an entirely new saga populated by original characters, steering the franchise into unexplored territory rather than directly extending the Skywalker lineage.
For the moment, Kinberg is focused on completing his upcoming Star Trek film (he's producing) for Paramount. Once that project wraps, he will turn his full attention to building the next era of the Star Wars saga.
Though the trilogy is still years from entering production, early signs are encouraging.
Confidence in the project comes from Kinberg’s established success as a storyteller, his past collaborations with Lucasfilm, and his strong working ties with both Lucasfilm and Paramount, factors that make the ambitious new saga far more likely to reach the big screen.